William white



W. WHITE.

CLOTHES LINE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13. 1916.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a vflmeowo W. WHITE.

CLOTHES LINE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE13, 1916. 1,195,312.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

awvanto'n WILLIAM WHITE, OE PHILADELPfiIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GLOTHE-LINE 'surron'r.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Application filed June 18, 1916. crial No. 103,382.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Line Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improved form of clothes line support, and is particularly adapted for use in cellars, although it may be used advantageously any place where a super supporting structure is provided.

One object of my invention is to provide a device of the above described type including a clothes line which may be lowered to enable the ready attachment of clothes thereto and to provide apparatus for readily elevating the clothes line to a high level, so that the clothes will be elevated into such position so that they will not become soiled or interfere with a person who is walking below them.

Another object of my invention is to include auxiliary apparatus for preventing sag in the clothes lines after they have been elevated.

A further object is to so construct my improved invention that it may be cheaply and easily manufactured and installed.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I

attain in the following manner, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure'l is a perspective view showing my invention in operative position within a cellar, the joist supporting the upper floor being used as the super supporting structure. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of certain of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. .Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section showing certain of the retaining and stretching members. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively end elevation and top plan view of a hoisting device which I employ. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of one of the guide members which forms a part of my invention. Figs. 7 andS are respectively plan view and side elevation of a modified form of attaching means for the elevating rods, and Fig. 9 shows a fragmentary elevation in which two prop beams may be simultaneously operated by 1 the movement of a single rod.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 are the end walls of the celler, and 3 represents the upper floor having a supporting joist 4 thereunder. These joists may be of any of the Well known constructions, and are used to support pulleys 5 and guide rods 6, the function of which will be described hereinafter.

The wall 1 has a beam 7 rigidly secured thereto, and this beam is provided with a series of hooks 8 to which one end of each of a series of clothes lines 9 are secured. The other ends of these lines are secured to hooks 10 on a beam 11, the latter having holes therein through which the members 6 extend, and the beam thus mounted is adapted to slide longitudinally along the members 6.

Two strands 12 of rope have their ends 13 secured to a prop beam '14, the latter being so positioned as to have its upper edge below the clothes lines 9, and designed to engage the latter and form a support therefor intermediate of the hooks 8 and 9.

The strands 12 join at 15 with arope 16.

.This rope 16 extends through the beam 11,

and has a knot or other enlargement 17 designed to engage the face 18 of the beam 11, and a similar knot 4 or obstruction 19 designed to engage the opposite surface 20 of the beam 11, thus confining the beam 11 be tween the knots 17 and 19,"so that a longi-' tudinal movement of the rope 16 will impart a corresponding movement of the beam 11 along the guiding members 6.

The rope 16 passes over a pulley 21 supported on a board or other member 22, the latter being secured to the end wall of the cellar. After passing over this pulley, the rope 16 extends downwardly and has an'end secured toand designed to be rotated by a drum 23. signed to rotate within a yoked bracket 25, the latter being secured to the end wall 2. One of the journals 24 is extended sulficiently beyond the bracket 25 to support a ratchet wheel 26, and a handle 27, said ratchet wheel and handle being secured to said journal, so that a turning of the handle will cause a rotationof both the ratchet wheel and the drum.- A pawl 28 is pivoted at 29 to the bracket 25, and has an extension 30' providing a handle by which the pawl 28 may bemanually released from the teeth of the ratchet 26.

As a means for normally holding the pawl 28 in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 26, a retainer 31 is provided which This drum has journals 24: de-

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

' corresponding to the rope 16 shown in Figs.

is secured to the wall 2, and has a resilient finger 32 which bears upon the pawl 28 as clearly shown in Fig. 4. It will thus be seen that by rotating the drum 23 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, that the rope 16 will act to slide the beam 11 toward the wall 2, and will also act to pull the strands 12 and-thereby elevate the prop beam 14. .This movement of the beam 11 will act to stretch the clothes lines 11 in a plane extending through the hooks 8 and 10, and the prop beam 14 will engage the lower portions of the lines 9 and prevent them from sagging due to the weight of the clothes thereon. After the lines 9 are thus moved, the retainer 31 will act to hold the pawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth and the hand may be released from the handle 27, the pawl being suflicient to prevent the unwinding of the drum and thereby hold the lines 9 in the desired elevated position.

To lower the lines so that the clothes may be easily removed therefrom or other clothes secured thereto, it is merely necessary to press downwardly upon the handle 30 and gradually permit the handle 27 to rotate, the weight of the clothes and lines being suflicient to slide the beam forwardly along the members 6 until said lines are sufficiently lowered to permit the attachment or detachment of the clothes.

'In order to prevent the strands 12 or rope 16 from becoming twisted, and also to provide a stabilizer for the several ropes, I provide a weight 34 which is suspended by a rope 35, the upper end of which provides a knot 17 as shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive.

In Figs. 7 and 8, instead of having the strands 12 positively secured to the rope 16 and not slidable relative thereto, I provide a single length of rope. 36 both ends of which may be secured to the prop beam 14.,"

and this strand passes through a link 37 which is attached to a loop 38 on a rope 39 1 to 6 inclusive. 1

In .Fig. 9, I have illustrated a construction in which two prop beams'41 and 42 may be used, and each of these prop beams is of similar construction to that shown at 14 in Figs. 1'to 6 inclusive, it merely being necessary to duplicate the pulley 13 and to connect an additional length of rope 43 with a rope44 which is of similar construction to strands 12, so that a movement of the rope 44 will act to simultaneously raise or lower the-prop 'beams 41 and 42. This latter construction would be of particular use in extremely long cellars, or any place where extremely long clothes lines 9 are required.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be under- .stood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing from the end secured to the movable support, means I for moving said movable support to stretch or permit slack'in said lines, and a prop operative simultaneously with said latter means to engage and furnish an additional support for said lines, substantially as described.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a fixed support, a movable support, a series of lines each having one end secured to the rigid support and the other end secured to the movable support, means for moving said movable support to stretch or permit slack in said lines, and a plurality of props coupled together and being operative simultaneously with said latter means to engage and furnish an additional support for said lines, substantially asdescribed.

3. A device of the character described,

comprising a fixed support, longitudinal guiding means, a member slidable on said guiding means extending substantially in a horizontal direction, a clothes line having opposite ends respectively attached to said fixed support and to said member, and; means for sliding said member longitudinally on said guiding means to stretch the clothes line, substantially as described.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a fixed support, longitudinal guiding means, a member slidable on said guiding means, a clothes line having opposite ends respectively attached. to said fixed support and to said member, means for sliding "said member longitudinally on said guiding means to stretch the clothes line, and a prop beam 'located below said clothes line and movable simultaneously with said member and into engagement with the lower portion of said line to form additional sup- I porting means for said line, substantially as described. I

5. The combination with a super support, of a fixed support, fixed longitudinal-gliding members on said super support, a beam slidable on said members, a clothes line having its opposite ends secured relatively to the fixed support and to the slidable beam, means for sliding said beam longitudinally on said members to stretch said clothes line, a beam prop located below said clothes line and operatlvely connected to said means whereby a movement of the latter to stretch I port with the beam,

-line having its opposite ends respectively simultaneously slide the theline also moves the prop beam into engagement with the lower ortion of the clothes line and furnishes ad 'tional support for the latter, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a super support, of a fixed support, fixed longitudinal guiding members on said super support, a beam slidable on said members, a rope secured to said beam, a clothes line having its opposite ends respectively connecting the fixed support with the beam, a prop beam located below the clothes line, ant1-friction members carried by the super support, and rope strands assing over the anti-friction. members an respectively connecting said rope with the prop beam, and means for moving said rope to simultaneously slide the first beam and to lift the prop beam into engagement with the clothes hne, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a super support, of a fixed support, fixed longitudinal guiding members on said super support, a beam slidable on said members, a rope secured to said beam, a clothes line havin its opposite ends respectively connecting the fixed supa prop eam located below the clothes line, anti-friction members carried by the super support, rope strands passing over the anti-friction members and respectively prop beam, means for moving said rope to first beam and to beam into engagement with e, and a weight suspended from said r0 e, substantially as described.

8. The com ination with a super support, of a fixed support, fixed longitudinal guidmg members, a beam slidable on said memers, a rope secured to said beam, a clothes lift the pro the clothes beam slidable on said gu1 site ends respectively attached to said connectmg rope with the i connecting the fixed support with the beam, a prop beam located below the clothes line, anti-friction members carried by the super support, and rope strands passing over the anti-frictionmembers and respectively connecting said rope with the prop beam, means for moving said rope to simultaneously slide the first beam and to lift the prop beam into engagement with the clothes line, said means including a winding drum to whlch said line is attached, and means for rotating the drum, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a super support, of a fixed support, longitudinal guiding means suspended from the super support, a g means, a clothes line having its ends respectively connected to the fixed support and to the slidable beam, and means for sliding said beam on the guiding means to stretch the rope, and means. for holding said beam-sliding means to retain the clothes line in said stretched position, substantially as described.

10. The combination witha super support, of longitudinally extending guiding means suspended from said super support, a fixed support, a member slidable on said guiding means, a clothes line havin o pod:

support and to said member, and means for slidmg said member lon gliding means to stretc su stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

tudinally on said the clothes line,

WILLIAM WHITE. Witnesses:

SAMANA WHITE, Clams. E. Porrs. 

